Plenty of people have savored chef Rui Correia's paella, chorizos and fried empanadas, but few have actually seen him cook his culinary chef-d'oeuvres.

That's about to change as Correia, along with about a dozen other chefs, step out from behind their burners and show off their skills at the Greenwich 2012 Food and Wine Festival presented by Serendipity magazine.

Taking place at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 4 to 6, the annual event will feature a Culinary Village with food and beverage tastings from 90-plus vendors; live music and cooking demonstrations and tastings from celebrity chefs.

"From a chef's perspective, there's nothing like having a live audience in front of you to watch you cook and taste your food," said Correia, the owner of Douro Restaurant in Greenwich. "For people eating the food, there's nothing like seeing how the chef works."

The festivities kick off on Thursday with an evening for wine lovers. Guests will have the chance to sip fine wines paired with gourmet hors d'oeuvres and bid on items in a silent auction. The following day at the Grand Tasting Gala, guests can savor signature dishes from Correia and a cadre of chefs as Big Head Todd and the Monsters perform.

On Saturday, the park is set to heat up as the meat of the three-day festival gets going. Gregg Allman will play a headline performance after attendees spend the day stuffing themselves with food and drink at the Culinary Village, BBQ Pit Masters' tent and Beer Garden. Visitors can work off the calories at the Southern Bash, which will feature sets from Will Hoge and the Felice Brothers.

Celebrity chefs, including Graham Elliot, Duff Goldman and Ted Allen, will be on hand throughout the weekend to give demonstrations and sign copies of their books.

The event is the brainchild of Suni Unger, the founder of Serendipity.

"Our goal is to bring together restaurants, chefs, food, beer and wine vendors and give them a chance to meet potential fans," Danielle Dubin Manion of Serendipity magazine said. "Residents will have the chance to try new dining experiences."

The beneficiary of this year's event will be the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a Connecticut-based summer camp and year-round center for seriously ill children founded by the late Paul Newman.

"We're absolutely thrilled to be the beneficiary of such an exciting event taking place right in our backyard, especially one that is celebrating things that we enjoy at the camp -- music, food and fun," said Ryan Thompson, senior development officer at the nonprofit.